I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Kyle snuggling up with his beloved pappy on his pillow. c. 2003

Looking at Kyle from a distance, he’s definitely more a man than a little boy. He’s nearly as tall as me, leaned out and he’s even carrying himself with purpose. However, every now and again he does something that screams little boy, and I can’t help but notice and smile.

This past Saturday, we were watching The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. (for the countless time, it’s one of our favorite movie series) True to Kyle’s idiosyncrasies, he turned off all the lights to set the movie watching mood, then he pulled up a pillow. Okay, pulling up a pillow to get comfortable isn’t weird, but he pulled up the dog’s bed and proceeded to snuggle in, right in front of the television, on the floor.

You see, when Kyle as a little tyke he loved to sprawl out on the floor in front of the boob tube. He would try and get as close as humanly possible. It became an issue with us having to pull him back, while he always protested. Eventually, we came to an agreement and he knew where the line was established. I’m guessing that was ingrained in Kyle, because he stayed at the borderline on Saturday.

The action with dog pillow cracked me up too. When Kyle was a baby, four months old to be exact, right after his dad passed away, I painted and redecorated Ryan’s old bedroom at my parent’s house for Kyle, since we knew he’d be living with us part-time. I also wanted him to feel he was always welcomed and was at home. (Kyle has a room at my house too.) I embellished Kyle’s room with items for children, while leaving little pieces of his dad here and there. To really polish off the child’s domain, I made Kyle curtains. The fabric I chose had red trucks and dogs printed on solid blue, red, white and yellow blocked backgrounds. I even embellished the curtains with large primary colored buttons. They were very cute and cheerful, especially considering our state of mind at that time, dealing with the loss of Ryan. Anyway, upon completion of the curtains, I realized I had a lot of extra fabric left. What to do with the material? Turn it into an over-sized pillow of course. I stitched up the rectangle sides and made Kyle a huge pillow, roughly twenty-four inches by thirty-six inches. It took a lot of stuffing, but I made this, unbeknownst to me at the time, favorite pillow of Kyle’s.

Kyle hanging with Pap & Jake, the pillow was always nearby. c. 2004

Naturally, when Kyle was a baby, he didn’t really take notice to the pillow. As he grew older, I’d find him dragging it throughout the house to lay on, or he used it as a nesting spot to play with his cars and trucks. Soon, when he discovered cartoons, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Thomas the Tank, Bear in the Big Blue House, and George Shrinks (Kyle and my dad’s favorite) to name a few, Kyle would pull that pillow in prime watching position on the floor, which were hardwood, for ultimate viewing comfort.

Kyle loved that pillow! Even though I don’t think he remembers it nowadays. So much so, that eventually the once fluffy pillow became beat down and lumpy, especially after many justified washes. Eventually, I opened up the stitching, and replaced the stuffing to get a few more years out of it. Back then, Kyle loved doing anything with me, and he certainly assisted with the process, which I very much enjoyed.

To be honest, I’m really not sure when we decided to give up on the pillow, and tossed it once and for all, but it no longer resides on the floor, in front of the television. That place is reserved for the dogs. I’m sure before removing that staple from the house, I consulted Kyle on the decision, to avoid a childhood scar like I endured regarding my banky (blanket). I’ll explain that situation one day.

Now the present, and Kyle’s on the dog’s therapeutic bed, which he drug in front of the television to watch the movie in the dark. Just like old times. My little man’s still in there! Kyle will always be my little man!